title: Acute aerobic exercise and information processing: energizing motor processes during a choice reaction time task.
abstract: The immediate and short-term after effects of a bout of aerobic exercise on young adults' information processing were investigated. Seventeen participants performed an auditory two-choice reaction time (RT) task before, during, and after 40 min of ergometer cycling. In a separate session, the same sequence of testing was completed while seated on an ergometer without pedalling. Results indicate that exercise (1) improves the speed of reactions by energizing motor outputs; (2) interacts with the arousing effect of a loud auditory signal suggesting a direct link between arousal and activation; (3) gradually reduces RT and peaks between 15 and 20 min; (4) effects on RT disappear very quickly after exercise cessation; and (5) effects on motor processes cannot be explained by increases in body temperature caused by exercise. Taken together, these results support a selective influence of acute aerobic exercise on motor adjustment stage.
authors.affiliation: Université de Poitiers, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition et l'Apprentissage, CNRS, MSHS, 99 Avenue du Recteur Pineau, 86000 Poitiers, France. michel.audiffren@mshs.univ-poitiers.fr
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Audiffren
authors.forename: Phillip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Tomporowski
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zagrodnik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004576:Electromyography; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010898:Pitch Perception; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012881:Skin Temperature; D055815:Young Adult